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The New Year saw the dawn of new relationships as 60 wild Nevada Mustangs were delivered into the hands of their sixty selected trainers January 9-12, 2008, in Ewing, Illinois. The purpose of the Midwest Mustang Challenge is to showcase the beauty, versatility, and trainability of the American Mustang.

Each trainer received a wild Mustang selected by a random drawing from a pool of 30 mares and 30 geldings. In just under 100 days, each trainer and Mustang will return to demonstrate what these exceptional horses can do as they compete for $12,000 in prize money at the Midwest Horse Fair in Madison, Wisconsin. Each of these trained Mustangs will be eligible for purchase at auction after the final competition.

In my 20 years of experience as a professional horse trainer I’ve worked with a number of wild Mustangs. My gentle methods utilize natural horsemanship techniques combined with a background in dressage and the formal education of a Masters Degree in Animal Behavior. My relationship-based training methods respect each horse’s individuality and allow each horse to progress at his or her own rate.

As one of the trainers selected from around the country, I am honored to be representing Colorado at this event. On January 9, I met my new Mustang partner, a four-year-old bay mare captured from the Twin Peaks herd management area of northern Nevada. As she was driven into the chutes for haltering and trailer loading, I overheard one of the other trainers comment “there’s a wild one.” I have christened her Telluride to reflect my Colorado pride. She seems very intelligent and brave, and we’re looking forward to sharing our story with you throughout this process.

To learn more about Kari and her methods, or to follow her progress with Telluride, email kctraining@hotmail.com or visit her website at http://www.karicrawfordhorsetraining.com.